


Surprise

by butterflycell



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Minor Angst, minor H/C
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-05
Updated: 2012-10-05
Packaged: 2017-11-15 17:16:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/529656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflycell/pseuds/butterflycell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sitting in an airport lounge, Arthur is about to make the biggest decision of his life. Work has always, <i>always</i> come first  - but when that began to change, Uther made sure it wasn't for long. For the first time in his life, Arthur decides to stand up for himself - but is it too late?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> Another fic transferred over from my Live Journal, in honour of Merlin starting again tomorrow! Originally in three parts, I'm going to just put it up in one. 
> 
> Enjoy =)

Arthur nursed yet another beer as he sat in the airport bar. He stared into the bottom of his glass, feeling that numb, hollowed out sensation he always got when things were set into motion that couldn’t be stopped. His father would be furious, but he’d had _enough_. He'd made his decision. Echoes of another, more heartbreaking conversation rang through Arthur’s head, running around and tumbling across a different argument with a different person. His life had _finally_ fallen into place and he'd had it ripped away, all at the whim of his father's mercy - or lack thereof. The past two weeks had been his own, quite personal hell.   
  
When Uther had told him he was being promoted to the New York branch, Arthur had done his best to object; but in a conference room full of their investors and clients, Arthur knew very well that he couldn’t turn down the post. _Everyone_  now knew of the offer and his acceptance, no matter how reluctant it had been. He’d been clapped on the back, had his hand shaken by everyone and congratulated by a different person every way he turned. That was, everyone but Uther.   
  
Uther had simply sat in his seat at the head of the table, leaning back with his elbows resting on the arms, his fingers steepled together. He watched Arthur like a hawk, the malicious smirk he saved for special occasions on full view.   
  
Arthur shook his head at the memory and downed the end of his drink sharply. The barman grimaced sympathetically.   
  
“I don’t get a lot of you drowning your sorrows in the middle of the afternoon.” He spoke conversationally, but not in a way that would usually make Arthur defensive. The American seemed alarmingly genuine.   
  
“Yeah, well... I’ve either made the best or the worst decision of my life and there’s nothing I can do about it now.” Arthur sighed heavily and rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. The barman took away the empty beer glass and set down a ginger ale. Arthur glanced up and smiled tightly in thanks.   
  
“I’d get you another, but it would only make things worse to be hit with a hangover mid flight.” He grimaced and held a hand up when Arthur went to open his wallet. “It’s on me. I hope things go okay for you.”   
  
Arthur smiled a little more warmly as the barman headed away to serve a group of businessmen who’d just entered. Arthur sipped at the ginger ale, closing his eyes briefly as the three pints in his system made the edges of everything a little less jagged.   
  
_“Come with me.” Arthur whispered, for perhaps the fifthteenth time. Merlin, again, shook his head, staring out of the large bay window at the front of the flat. His arms were folded and the tension in his shoulders screamed out at Arthur._  
  
 _“If I leave my job now, I will never get a decent one again. This is a once in a lifetime for me, you know that. If I left now... it'd be the end of my career, Arthur.” Merlin’s voice was tight and angry but Arthur could also hear the tears there. Arthur had already made the mistake of telling Merlin that he'd never need to work again and he didn’t blame Merlin for the outburst of anger it had triggered. He’d known when he first started dating Merlin that he wasn’t_ ever _going to become Arthur’s kept man._  
  
 _“Then you can visit... surely.” Arthur’s voice was flat, already knowing the answer. The longer Arthur lived in America, the less and less likely it would be for their relationship to survive - especially when there was no end in sight for the whole, sorry situation. “I don’t want to go, Merlin.”_  
  
 _“I know.” The weight of truth and honesty in Merlin’s voice almost broke Arthur then and there. “But your father said 'jump', and you never keep your feet on the floor when that happens.”_  
  
 _Arthur didn’t reply to that because he knew how incredibly true it was. To deny his father on this would see Arthur with no job and probably no references. If he hadn’t taken the job, he would've made his father look a fool in front of some of the most senior partners and investors of the business. The repercussions of that would've been terrible. His current savings wouldn’t have lasted forever and no respectable company would touch the son of Uther Pendragon if there was even a hint that they’d parted on less than amicable terms._  
  
 _He closed his eyes slowly and got to his feet, feeling like the weight of ten worlds had settled on his shoulders. He reached for his keys and pulled his copy for Merlin’s front door off, walking slowly to the other man. He held his hand out and Merlin turned to look at him for a moment, staring at the key before slowly meeting Arthur’s eyes._  
  
 _“Keep it.” He said gently, his voice completely unreadable. Arthur swallowed hard and tried to make the most of seeing Merlin’s eyes before he nodded and left the flat._  
  
 _In the fortnight that followed, he'd sold his flat to a friend, along with most of the furnishings. The only things that left the flat were some of the items that had once belonged to his mother and his bed. He didn't really know why, but that bed was far too important to him to get rid of... well, he_ did _know, but he didn't want to acknowledge it. All those went to Morgana, after a great deal of pleading and persuasion on her part, though he couldn’t bring himself to even charge her. His final act was to give his car to Gwen and Lance, knowing that they were in need of a new one – he'd call it an anniversary present. Without having to spend a fortune on repairs for the gas-guzzler they currently drove, things would soon ease up for them._  
  
 _Only a few days later, he flew out to his new flat in New York, all his worldly possessions fitted into two suitcases and carry-on luggage._   
  
Arthur drained the last of the ginger ale, surprised at how much it had done to quell the unease in his stomach that had been growing with each mouthful of beer. He put down a generous tip with the empty glass and got to his feet. He slung his laptop case and bag over his shoulder and headed out of the bar towards the terminal. Each step brought a new question to his head until it was so full of anxiety and unsurety that he was convinced he would be throwing up by the time the plane landed in Heathrow.   
  
\--   
  
As Arthur parked his hire car nearly ten hours later, his heart was hammering painfully in his chest. The plane flight hadn’t been good, his nerves stopping him from sleeping or concentrating on anything other than what a colossal _mistake_ this might be. With a sigh that rattled right out from the bottom of his lungs, he got out of the car, locking everything he owned in behind him. It really was now or never.   
  
He’d got this far on sheer force of will, but the time between making the decision two days ago and standing on the pavement now - after telling himself he would never be coming back - had been a necessity. _Now_ was the moment he found out whether it was all worth it.   
  
He forced himself forward and into the building, heading up to the top floor flat in the town house. He wondered for a moment whether to knock, only to realise that it was still the early hours of the morning – barely four. There was a long moment when he came a breath away from turning around and going back to the car, but a faint noise from inside the flat made his decision for him. He turned around again, pulled his key from his pocket and let himself in. He looked around the familiar, open plan living area and saw that the floor lamp in the corner was turned on. It stood beside a large, squashy armchair, facing away from the door and the rest of the room to look out of the window.   
  
He took a few, hesitant steps in an arc until he could see that the chair was occupied. Merlin was curled up around a book, a foot tapping out a rhythm on the window ledge it rested on.   
  
Arthur took a moment to marvel at Merlin’s complete absorption in his book, his heart swelling slightly at the sight, before he closed the door behind him gently and flicked on the lights. He couldn’t help but smile as he saw Merlin start and look up, his head snapping round and a frown of confusion etching itself into his face. 

“Arthur...” Merlin closed the book in his lap slowly and Arthur took a few steps forwards.   
  
“I couldn’t do it.” He said simply. It seemed he’d finally reached the point where uncertainty didn’t exist. He shrugged slightly and Merlin got up from the chair, crossing the room to meet him halfway as he took a few steps forwards. Arthur slid his hands round Merlin’s waist, cradling his hips as Merlin’s hands pressed against his stomach.   
  
“But what about your father?” He asked, swallowing hard. Arthur met his eyes and shrugged again.   
  
“He’ll just have to get used to the fact that I’m twenty eight and not in love with my job any more. It’s up to him what happens now.” Arthur attempted a smile before bringing a hand up to brush Merlin’s fringe off his forehead, a gesture that was bizarrely intimate. He sighed gently. “I just wanted you to know.”   
  
He made to move away, but Merlin’s fingers curled into the material of his jumper and held him still. Arthur caught Merlin’s eyes in a brief glance, finding a smile on the face of his... ex? Friend? Lover? Whatever Merlin was, Arthur knew what he wanted him to be. He leaned forward and caught Merlin’s lips in an oddly tender kiss that lasted only a handful of seconds.   
  
“Where’s all your stuff?” Merlin asked gently, his fingers uncurling from the material and running absently across Arthur’s stomach.   
  
“In the car downstairs – I'm going to beg 'Gana’s spare room but I couldn’t stop myself from coming here first.” Arthur looked a little sheepish and pulled away slightly. Merlin laughed gently and held his hand out.   
  
“Keys.” He said pointedly, nodding his head at his hand. Arthur scrambled in his pockets and dropped the car key into Merlin’s outstretched hand. Merlin pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Go grab a shower, I’ll bring your stuff up.”   
  
Arthur hesitated for a moment before Merlin pulled away and pushed him in the direction of the bathroom, vanishing out of the front door before he could say anything else. For a moment, Arthur stood dumbly, completely and utterly unable to believe what was happening. He stumbled forwards in a haze and let his feet make their way into the bathroom. It was instinct and muscle memory that made him turn the shower on. He barely acknowledged what was happening, but he vaguely hoped that some of it could be put down to jetlag. He left the water to heat while he stripped off the clothing he’d been wearing for far too long, peering around him as he did so. Nothing had changed since the last time he’d been here, just over a month ago - the day after he'd been given his promotion. Memories of comfort and happiness began to seep through the fog in his head and he climbed into the shower with a little more purpose in his movements.   
  
\--   
  
Outside, Merlin was already halfway back up to the flat, Arthur’s laptop and carry-on luggage slung across him. Arthur, the fastidious person he was, always packed a spare set of clothes in his carry-on in case his suitcases were lost or somehow destroyed in transit. Merlin had had one hell of a laugh when he’d watched him pack for a conference in Germany the year before.   
  
_“Arthur, you’re going for_ five days _, you don’t need your whole wardrobe!” Merlin sat on the end of Arthur’s bed, watching incredulously as the other man filled a suitcase with enough clothes to last him five_ weeks _, let alone days._  
  
 _“Your hobo sensibilities don’t understand the needs of a businessman.” Arthur shot a look over his shoulder that made Merlin smile. “I need a complete change of clothes in my carry-on, then a different suit for each day, along with shirts and ties, plus a spare one in case someone gets drunk and spills something on me -”_  
  
 _“You mean in case_ you _get drunk.” Merlin chipped in. Arthur fixed him with a cool look._  
  
 _“- and if you think I’m going to spend all day everyday in suits then you must be madder than usual, so jeans and t-shirts are in there too.” Arthur spoke in such a matter-of-fact way that Merlin was inclined to believe him... but then he looked back at the suitcase and the dwindling amount of clothes in the wardrobe and turned a sceptical eye back to Arthur, who grinned that mischievous, child-like grin before tackling Merlin back against the covers._   
  
Merlin smiled as he dug out Arthur’s clean clothes and took the boxers and t-shirt, along with his toiletries bag, through to the bathroom. He did his best to give Arthur some privacy, but he couldn’t help taking a glance at Arthur’s silhouette through the steamed up glass panel. It was a sight he’d never thought he’d be allowed to see again. Whilst he wanted nothing more than to soak in the sight, he put the clothes on the pile of towels by the door and slipped back out of the room. To keep himself occupied, he did a circuit of his flat, cleaning up bits and pieces as he went.   
  
He heard the click of the bathroom door opening just as he reached the armchair he’d been reading in, putting the bookmark in properly and turning the lamp off before turning to find Arthur standing awkwardly by the bathroom door. It was startling to see him, a man who usually exhaled confidence with each breath, look so unsure of himself and it took a great deal of willpower for Merlin to not treat him like some sort of invalid. Arthur didn’t need his pity and it was probably the very last thing he wanted.   
  
Instead, Merlin put on a smile and made his way over to the other man, linking their fingers together and leading him to the bedroom, as he’d done so many times before. Merlin sent up a prayer of thanks that he was in his pyjamas already and pulled Arthur down onto the bed, pulling the duvet up around them as he settled behind him and wound his arms around his waist. The familiar contact was doing wonders for Merlin and he could only hope that it was doing the same for Arthur.   
  
After a few moments, Merlin felt Arthur’s hands clasp his own as he pushed back into the embrace and held on tight. Merlin, for his part, held him close and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. It was such a familiar and comforting touch that he couldn’t help but smile again. It had been over a month since he’d last slept curled around Arthur like this and it had been a month or so since he’d last had a proper, full night’s sleep. He wagered that he’d be awake in a few hours, but he was perfectly content to stay like this for as long as possible.   
  
\--   
  
When Merlin woke, sometime late morning, he found the bed beside him empty and thought, for one wild moment, that he’d dreamt up all the events of the night before. His heart hammered painfully in his chest for the brief moment it took for him to sit up and catch sight of Arthur’s bag on the chair in the corner, half open with the contents spilling over the seat. He rubbed his hands across his face, working his fingers into his forehead as he felt weariness descend again.   
  
It might have been a romantic reunion in the half-light of their sleep-deprived early morning, but in the sunlight it was all too easy to remember the fact that they’d both chosen their jobs over each other, that Arthur had now sacrificed what Merlin wouldn’t. This was only the beginning of the whole affair and it would only get worse from here on in. Arthur would need every last ounce of his resolve to survive the storm on their horizon.   
  
Merlin sighed heavily and tugged the duvet off his legs, stretching as he stood up and headed out of the room. The moment he saw the door by the kitchen area was open, he knew precisely where to find Arthur. With a slight ease of the tension in his chest, he fell into a familiar routine, making two mugs of tea and carrying them through the door and up the stairs to the roof terrace. The sun was beating down but there was a slight chill to the air. He headed straight over to the figured lying flat out on the floor and sat down next to him, putting their drinks down in front of him.   
  
“I like this.” Arthur’s voice sounded a little out of place in the quiet on the rooftop. Merlin looked down to see him squinting up at him with one eye and actually smiling. “Maybe I’ll have more time now.”   
  
“Maybe.” Merlin smiled back and Arthur pushed himself up to sit shoulder to shoulder with him. Merlin handed him his drink and took his own, sitting in silence as they enjoyed the weather and each other’s company.   
  
They sipped at their drinks, listening to the occasional car go by on the street below and the more distant sounds of buses on the main road. They heard the woman in the house next door humming as she put up her washing in the garden and the sound of the dogs on the other side romping around on the grass. They heard the two little girls who lived in the ground floor flat of their building shrieking as they played tag on the lawn and Merlin couldn’t help but smile as Arthur took his hand and wound their fingers together. It all felt _so_ right.   
  
“I think there are a few calls I need to make...” Arthur said finally, his voice sounding weighed down again.   
  
“I’ll handle Morgana, but I don’t think you need to worry about the wider world today.” Merlin smiled and Arthur curled his free hand around his neck, pulling him in for a long, slow kiss that was a world apart from the one they’d shared on his return.   
  
“Thank-you.” Arthur said gently as they eventually broke from each other, giving Merlin a smile that proved to him just how vulnerable he was in light of everything that happened. Merlin just smiled back and got to his feet, collecting their empty mugs and carrying them back inside. He put them in the sink before digging out his mobile.   
  
The first and most important person to alert was, obviously, Morgana. She hadn’t shown Arthur how upset she was over him leaving the country, but Merlin had been there in the aftermath, the two of them joining forces to keep from falling apart completely. It had been partly on Merlin’s insistence that Morgana had begged Arthur’s bed off him. Merlin had been absolutely loathed to see it go to some stranger when it held eighteen months of heartfelt memories. He hit one of his hotkeys and held the phone to his ear as it dialled. Morgana picked up after the second ring.   
  
The shriek of joy he heard made him laugh and the bubble of restrained happiness in his chest popped with the sound. She gabbled something about _knowing_ that Arthur would never leave for good before Merlin heard her bellow to Leon. She’d been seeing him on an increasingly regular basis over the last half a year and Arthur leaving for America had been the catalyst for things going to the next step. As far as Merlin was aware, they were in the process of moving in together.   
  
There was a triumphant whoop in the distance and then Morgana was back to her usual composed self, promising to let Gwaine, Gwen and Lance know and to tell Merlin under no uncertain terms to expect the five of them round for take-out that evening. They would bring the booze.   
  
After that, Merlin dragged Arthur from the roof to help him bring his suitcases up from the car and the proceeded to spend the afternoon lounging around and watching television. There were a couple of moments when things could very quickly have become physical between them, but they’d come to a silent agreement to hold off on that element of their relationship until everything had been talked about at the very least.   
  
\--   
  
Before they knew it, Morgana was hammering on the door, having taken ‘evening’ as the earliest possible time of six o’clock. Merlin untangled himself from where he and Arthur were sprawled on the sofa and opened the front door. Before he could even say ' _hello_ ', Morgana had barrelled through in a rush of perfume and dark hair to fling herself across her would-be brother. Arthur glanced over at Merlin before wrapping his arms around her in an uncharacteristic hug. The moment seemed to last for a long time before they snapped back to their usual selves, Morgana slapping Arthur hard upside the head with a glare.   
  
“You idiot.” She spat, getting up off the sofa. It was only then that she turned back to Merlin and pulled him into her usual greeting hug. Merlin had let Leon, Gwen and Lance in whilst the two siblings had been embracing and when Morgana let go of Merlin, Arthur was standing next to him, being drawn into a hug by Gwen.   
  
“Is the endless wanderer not in town?” Merlin asked Morgana, who just smiled.   
  
“He's around. He said he'll try and get here soon.” She raised her eyebrow conspiratorially and padded over to Leon by the door.   
  
“We’ve got a bit of everything.” Leon said meaningfully, holding up several bags of differing alcohol. Merlin just smiled.   
  
“I guess that means I’m buying dinner.” He grinned and looked over at Arthur, who was watching his sister shrewdly.   
  
“Since when have you two been this close?” He asked with a slight frown. Everyone looked at him like he was mad and Morgana cocked an eyebrow at him. Leon flushed a little bit and determinedly avoided his friend’s gaze.   
  
“Arthur, if you hadn’t seen this coming then there’s something seriously wrong.” Merlin said, easily diffusing the situation by taking one of the bags of drink off Leon and gesturing for him to bring the others over. When they glanced back at, the siblings were locked in a staring contest. Leon just rolled his eyes.   
  
Gwen took the initiative to step between them, putting a placating hand on each of their arms. “Why don’t we take the drinks up to the roof?”   
  
“Yeah, that sounds like a plan.” Lance grinned from behind Gwen and took Arthur’s arm, steering him forcedly towards the door up to the roof and making him break eye contact with Morgana.   
  
“I don’t know how you two put up with them.” Gwen said with a rather motherly tone to the two men in the kitchen. Merlin shrugged and Leon gave her a sly smile which only served to make her laugh.   
  
“Hey, I’m not _that_ bad.” Morgana had slunk up behind Leon and wound her fingers through his, putting on her very best innocent expression.   
  
That really made Gwen laugh. “Come on, time to talk his head off until he forgets about this whole mess.”   
  
Morgana nodded and let go of Leon’s hand as she joined Gwen to take the first round of beers up onto the roof. Leon hung behind as he saw Merlin make no move to follow the girls. “Is everything okay?”   
  
“Huh?” Merlin’s head snapped up from where he’d been staring at the floor. He thought about forcing a grin, but settled for the slightly sad smile that he knew was much more earnest. “Yeah, everything’s fine – at least for the moment. It’s just knowing that sooner or later he’ll have to talk to Uther and that’s going to be a whole _world_ of bad feeling.”   
  
“The man’s a dragon, but he still loves Arthur... I mean, the talking to I got when Morgana first took me to dinner with him?” Leon blew out his cheeks and Merlin sympathised with him. “If he’s that protective of _her_ then I can very easily imagine him being ten times worse with Arthur.”   
  
“You have _no_ idea.” Merlin said with a bitter smile, remembering the cold tone and harsh looks he’d received off the man the first time he’d met him. All subsequent meetings had been of a similar manner, getting steadily more severe as time went on. Merlin was pretty sure that Uther had expected his son to ‘grow out’ of his ‘gay phase’; sending Arthur to America had been a last resort, it seemed. “I think Arthur holds him in more esteem than Morgana, so it’ll only make his disappointment worse.”   
  
“Whatever happens, he’s still got us – and more importantly, he still has you. I think he’s proven where his loyalties lie.” Leon fixed Merlin with a look that made him swallow nervously and he was very, very aware of what the other man was saying. Leon had been friends with Arthur since secondary school and he was as fiercely protective of him as Morgana was – but Merlin had absolutely no intention of giving either of them reason to be angry with him.   
  
“Oh, I know.” Merlin nodded and sighed slightly, rallying his good humour back to him. “Let’s not keep them waiting, or we may just spark some rumours.”   
  
Leon laughed heartily at that and followed him up to the roof. Merlin thought back to the first time he’d met Leon and the jealousy that had almost overpowered Arthur.   
  
_“It’s great to finally meet you.” Merlin shook Leon’s hand with a grin, and the other man smiled warmly. He was a big guy, a good few inches taller than either Merlin or Arthur and he had the kind of face that inspired a great deal of trust._  
  
 _“I’ve heard alot about you.” Leon clapped him on the back and Merlin shot glance at Arthur, who was standing with his feet planted slightly apart, his arms folded and a shuttered expression._  
  
 _The evening wore on easily, with Merlin and Leon getting to know each other pretty well, exchanging anecdotes about Arthur and fast becoming friends. With each laugh that passed between them, Arthur grew more and more defensive until he was practically ready to fly apart from the tension coiled in him. He disappeared to get drinks for them all at one point, only to return with a face like thunder. Leon was bracing a hand against Merlin’s knee as they roared with laughter over something. Merlin saw the look and, instead of getting angry or worried, used it to his advantage. There was a strange pleasure in seeing Arthur so territorial._  
  
 _Over the next couple of hours, Merlin played up to Leon and the other man seemed to be having the same thoughts, both of them having a great deal of fun at Arthur’s expense. By the time Leon finally made his excuses and said goodbye, they’d succeeded in making Arthur seethe right to the brink of boiling over. As soon as Leon was out of the flat, Arthur rounded on Merlin._  
  
 _“What the_ hell _were you playing at?!” He all but yelled, quite clearly furious._  
  
 _Merlin smiled and stepped closer, pushing his shirt up his stomach and caressing bare skin with his fingers. He leaned forwards and caught Arthur’s lips in a playful, teasing kiss and Arthur had half growled, half groaned, hands moving to grip his hips tightly._  
  
 _The next few hours were spent with Merlin letting Arthur reassert himself and claim him in any way he wanted - though mostly with hard, satisfying sex._   
  
Merlin smiled at the memory and slid over to where Arthur sat propped up against the edge of the terrace, the other man pulling him down onto his lap. Merlin shot him a withering look and Arthur reluctantly relinquished his grip just enough so that Merlin could settle between his legs, leaning back against his chest. Merlin watched Morgana let Leon have her seat before folding herself onto his lap and he smiled. They were a bizarre couple, but they worked well.   
  
They spent an hour or laughing and talking like they used to, finally deciding to order a Chinese take-out. The men were beginning to complain about how long the food was taking when they heard footsteps on the stairs up to the roof.   
  
Merlin managed to decipher them and move just in time to avoid the flying tackle as Gwaine leapt at Arthur and wrestled him against the concrete. Arthur, taken by surprise, was pinned to the ground for a few moments before he fought back. There was a brief scramble before they found themselves in a stalemate, panting and grinning like the children they were.   
  
“Truce?” Gwaine asked.   
  
“Truce.” Arthur nodded, releasing his friend and clapping him on the back. “Good to see you're still around.”   
  
“Yeah, well, _someone_ needed to hold the gang together.” He grinned again and before turned to Merlin. “I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of bringing the food up.”   
  
He poked a thumb towards the door and Merlin rolled his eyes, going to collect the bags of take-away and a handful of cutlery from the kitchen. By they time he got back up, everyone had fallen seamlessly back into old habits. They stayed out until the sun went down completely and chill night air forced them back inside. At around midnight, they finally called it a night and, with more hugs and harsh words for Arthur, they left for their own homes.   
  
Arthur tugged Merlin, protesting, into the bedroom, assuring him that the rubbish would still be there to clean up in the morning. Reluctantly, Merlin had changed into his pyjamas and fallen into bed, letting Arthur wrap himself around him.   
  
\--   
  
Over the next few days that followed, Merlin left Arthur to himself most of the time. The morning after the evening with their friends, Arthur seemed to be fully focused on his main problem. Merlin had woken at eight to find him already sitting at the dining table, laptop up and running, fingers flying furiously over the keyboard. Merlin had moved around him, making them both a cup of tea before he'd pressed a kiss to Arthur's hair and left for work. It wasn't until the fourth day, after he came home in the evening, that he interrupted Arthur. He'd caught a glimpse of the webpage he was browsing and couldn't contain himself.   
  
When he'd arrived back, he'd found Arthur sitting on the sofa, his feet propped up on the coffee table and his laptop on his knees and the website for an estate agents up. He all but tripped over his trailing bag at the sight but quickly recovered himself. Marching right round to sit on the coffee table opposite Arthur, he took the laptop away and folded it closed before speaking.   
  
“Merli--” Arthur began, but Merlin promptly leaned forwards and clamped a hand over his mouth, effectively putting a half to his protestations as he gathered his thoughts. Finally, he sighed and looked at the other man.   
  
“I know there are still things that need to be sorted between us, but after... I gave you a key and then you came back and quit your job and risked _everything_.” Merlin almost threw his free hand up in the air, but managed to resist. He closed his eyes and heaved another sigh, composing himself again. “I know it's not what you were used to and it's not really in the easiest of places, but we spend so many nights together that it's _pointless_ for you to get your own place... What I'm trying to say, in a really roundabout and crap way, is that I want you to live here... with me.”   
  
Arthur brought a hand up to pry Merlin's palm from his mouth, an eyebrow cocked in amusement and a little bit of affection. “I was hoping you'd say that... but I didn't want to rely on it. You know me, a contingency plan for every possible occasion – except this one, I guess.”   
  
Arthur shrugged slightly and Merlin smiled, clambering across to the sofa and sitting next to him. It felt like they were one step closer to whatever they were aiming for.   
  
\--   
  
The next week or so was an emotional rollercoaster for Merlin. He would fly between pure happiness at getting something at work done to perfection, only to spin into a depression when something else went wrong. He was just managing to hold onto everything he needed to when he'd go home and find newspapers lying around the flat, opened to the job section with rings around vacancies at coffee shops and pubs and calling stations. They made him unremittingly sad. The thought of Arthur - majestic, charismatic, with a masters degree in Economics and the should-be heir to one of the most powerful companies in the world - wiping down tables or cold calling for a pittance was just too wrong to contemplate.   
  
He wondered sometimes whether Uther knew his son had returned to London, whether Morgana had gone to him with a triumphant smirk and a glint in her eye that could easily just make things worse. He wondered what the investors and partners who'd witnessed Arthur's promotion had been told of the situation and he wondered whether Arthur would be paying the price for his independence for the rest of his life.   
  
_Arthur paced between the kitchen area and the sofa, following the same path he'd been treading for nearly ten minutes. Merlin stood still, leaning back against the kitchen counter and watching Arthur's progress. He'd not seen him so worked up over anything since... well, he couldn't really remember. When Arthur had let himself in, his face drawn into a grimace, his eyes dark and weary from lack of sleep and his whole body showing signs of internal struggle._  
  
 _“Everything's going to change.” He said suddenly, stopping half-way back to the kitchen area and staring at Merlin with haunted eyes. Merlin frowned slightly, his heart moving uncomfortably into his throat. “My father... I got promoted yesterday morning.”_  
  
 _“Why do I get the feeling that this isn't the advancement you've been wanting for the past few months?” Merlin asked, exhaling a shaky breath. Arthur's resolve seemed to shatter, like dust motes scattered in the breeze of that sigh._  
  
 _“He wants me to go to the New York branch, to take over deputy chairman position.” Arthur looked about ready to burst into tears or destroy something. Merlin simply felt numb. His whole world, everything he'd built up and secured over the last eighteen months, would come tumbling down, one way or another. “Merlin, I_ have _to go... he gave me no choice. He told me in front of the whole board and to turn it down would have... I didn't have a choice.”_  
  
 _Merlin stared at him, his heart breaking for the two of them. They both knew that Arthur would never really ask Merlin to leave his job, not something he'd worked his fingers to the bone for, something he'd worked towards for nearly six years. He wouldn't ask him to give up his home and his family to move to a strange city where jobs and options would be scarce. The knowledge weighed down far too heavily upon Merlin's shoulders and he had to brace himself back against the work surface, eyes falling to the floor._  
  
 _He swallowed hard, trying to digest it all and he vaguely heard Arthur's footsteps approach him, hands cupping his face and thumbs rubbing his cheeks. He glanced up to see Arthur looking at him with such sorrow that it made the whole thing feel even more surreal._ That _was not an expression usually associated with Arthur Pendragon._  
  
 _“Merlin, come with me.” Arthur breathed, uttering the words for the first of many times, knowing already how futile they were._   
  
There were moments when Merlin truly hated Uther for what he constantly put his son through, for the way he could make Arthur crumble into such a state of disarray that it could take several days to put the pieces back together again. Sometimes he'd thought of Uther as some crazy old eccentric, but for what he'd done to Arthur most recently, his contempt grew tenfold. No father would make their son choose between two such massive halves of his life, not like this. Maybe if said son was planning on making a huge mistake, marrying a gold-digger or a con-artist, perhaps, but not _this_ , not an honest relationship that made him _happy_.   
  
When those thoughts rose in his head, Merlin had to force them away before his fists clenched for too long or his teeth began to grind. If the train of thought was allowed to carry on, he would quite easily take himself off to Pendragon Inc. and give Uther a piece of his mind. Arthur had once said his father didn't deserve any piece of Merlin, and that he had little enough of a brain in the first place and shouldn't waste it. Such words had once been more than enough to dissuade him from whatever he was planning, but it had grown harder to control the impulse to hurt the older Pendragon.   
  
So when Merlin opened his front door two weeks after Arthur's return to see the object of his hatred standing calmly at the top of the stairs, he was quite taken aback. He met Uther's eyes, spurred on by shock and disbelief, for he would never have been able to meet the piercing gaze any other way. He simply stood there, fingers still clutching the door handle and all too aware that his eyes were probably bugging out a little.   
  
“Merlin?” Arthur's voice rang out from inside the flat and Merlin thought, for a moment, that he saw something ghost across Uther Pendragon's face.   
  
“I'm here to see my son.” He said in a calm tone that struck a little fear into Merlin, much to his annoyance. He nodded slowly and stepped to one side, gesturing for him to come in. They both turned to see Arthur on his feet, clearly on his way over to the door.   
  
Arthur came to an abrupt halt, not bothering to conceal the anger in his face. For Uther's part, his expression didn't change, just stayed in that same, slightly pinched disapproval as he looked around the flat. Merlin was suddenly acutely aware of how small his home must look to the man standing next to him. He took the chance to glance at Arthur – who nodded slightly – and quickly grabbed some money and his keys.   
  
“I need to go round to the shop... I'll leave you two alone?” He posed it as a question, which Arthur nodded again to, forcing a smile. Merlin hesitated for a moment, glancing between father and son once more before dashing out of the flat.   
  
\--   
  
A long silence began to stretch between father and son before Uther turned away and began a slightly more in-depth inspection of the place. Arthur watched him sharply, waiting for the barb to be fired at him. He could already predict how most of the conversation would play out.   
  
“I understand from your sister that you have no intention of returning to New York.” He finally said, running a finger along the edge of a kitchen counter before turning, his finger and thumb rubbing together as he fixed Arthur with that cold, intense gaze that worked so well on his employees.   
  
“And she would be correct.” Arthur folded his arms defiantly and met his father's gaze.   
  
“I believe that ten days was not long enough for you to settle there.” He replied, clasping his hands together and tilting his chin up a little. “However, due to your rash actions, your post had already been filled by someone who obviously cares a great deal more about his career than you.”   
  
“Good, the New York branch could do with some new blood.” Arthur shrugged slightly, feeling a leaden weight begin to settle in his stomach.   
  
“I also understand that you returned here for this... _Merlin_ character, that it was _he_ who lead you to make such a drastic decision.” Uther's eyes had gotten colder, if anything.   
  
“Correct.” Arthur clenched his fists and readied himself for what was to come; he knew the conversation would have to turn in a certain direction and he felt better about doing it on his terms. “You know very well that you forced me to make that decision.”   
  
“I did no such thing, Arthur.” Uther's lips twisted into a ghost of the smirk he'd worn in the board room all that time ago.   
  
“You blind sighted me in front of a room full of investors and senior partners, I had no choice but to accept and you know that.” Arthur's voice shook a little but he would not raise it. Raised voices only empowered his father and it was something he'd done well to learn early in his teens. “You made me choose between my job and everything that made the work worth it.”   
  
“I made you choose between your duty to the company and your whimsical lifestyle.” Uther spoke as if brushing a speck of dust from his jacket and Arthur had to work hard not to let his bottled up anger and frustration show.   
  
“Merlin is not a _lifestyle_.” Arthur said quietly, with a faint air of petulance around him. He knew precisely what his father deemed to be his whimsies and being with Merlin was, especially now, anything but that. Merlin had come from the outside and become the firm centre and foundation for everything else in his life. “I know why you disapprove and you can't use his line of work against him. He may not earn what I do, but he is far from struggling.”   
  
“I know _all_ about him, Arthur, and I also know that you hold him in a higher regard than the career you've been working at for six years. I'm merely pointing out that he clearly did not think the same of you.” Uther shrugged again but Arthur saw the glint of malice in his eyes.   
  
“That's not true.” Arthur spoke darkly, barely stopping his teeth from grinding.   
  
“Oh? What is it then?” Uther paced towards the sideboard, eyes wandering over the items there, lingering on a couple of photos from day trips between them and with their friends. “Is it that his job is more important than yours?”   
  
“Yes.” Arthur said abruptly and, from the look on his father's face as his head snapped round, it wasn't the answer he'd been expecting. Something inside Arthur's chest crowed at the small victory, but he kept his face as neutral as possible. “Merlin has a once in a lifetime opportunity to do something he's been working towards since university. He had to fight every step of the way to get to where his is. I was handed my career on a silver platter. Haven't you always instilled in me the importance of hard work?”   
  
Uther's expression became unreadable and he turned away, the silence answering Arthur's question perfectly. He watched his father turn back to the photos and pick up one of him and Merlin, probably taken by Morgana, on some relaxed summer afternoon. Arthur swallowed against the dryness in his throat and felt the prickling of unease as his feet itched to start moving, to do anything other than wait for his father's next words.   
  
“You needed to make a decision.” He said finally, turning back to look at Arthur. “Sending you to New York made that decision for you. Whilst I can't say I'm overjoyed at the conclusion you came to, I also won't disregard it completely.”   
  
Arthur stared dumbly at his father, only just managing to keep his mouth from falling open. There was shock, disbelief and a great deal of irritation boiling in his stomach.   
  
“This was all a game to you?” He asked incredulously, his voice getting dangerously tight. Uther snorted slightly. Before he could stop himself, Arthur had prowled towards his father, stepping easily into his personal space, his voice lowering further. “Play with my life as much as you want but don't bring the people I love in as your pawns.”   
  
Uther stared him down for a long moment before he surprised Arthur further by conceding the ground. He placed the photoframe back on the surface and stepped around his son towards the door.   
  
“I'll expect you on time next Monday. Your old office has already been filled but the deputy chairman's office has recently been vacated. I believe it will suit your needs.” Without another word, Uther opened the door and left, Arthur staring dumbstruck at the wood as he tried to digest what had just passed between them.   
  
\--   
  
Merlin was just approaching the building, arms full of milk bottles and the makings of that evening's dinner, trying to dig out his keys - when the front door opened. He did his utmost to look scathingly at Uther Pendragon, but he found it far too hard when knowing how ridiculous he must look.   
  
“I understand you're the man responsible for putting together the new exhibition at the Tate Modern, Emrys.” He said calmly. Merlin was taken aback first by Uther knowing what he did for a living and secondly for referring to him by his last name. Only school teachers had ever done that.   
  
“Yes, sir.” He finally managed to say, frowning a little in confusion and wondering for a wild moment if he would get upstairs and find Arthur brainwashed or hypnotised.   
  
“I look forward to seeing it.” Uther nodded sharply and headed down the steps, leaving Merlin staring after him, almost in a blind panic. He quickly recovered enough to run upstairs as fast as he could and he all be collapsed through the doorway, only just managing to put the shopping down before he keeled over from the sudden exertion. His heart hammered wildly for a moment as he failed to see Arthur, only to finally see him lying on the floor beside the sofa, staring up at the ceiling.   
  
“Arthur...?” He approached carefully, as if creeping up on a deer or rabbit. Arthur twisted his head and stared at him.   
  
“You will _never_ believe what just happened.” Arthur's voice was distant as he sat up and got to his feet. Merlin stood his distance, watching Arthur stare at the floor as he rested against the back of the sofa. “He gave me the deputy chairman's job... In London.”   
  
“But... I thought that post was better than the New York one.” Merlin asked, his frown back. Arthur nodded slowly and the action seemed to reawaken him for he looked up and a slow grin began to spread. He whooped suddenly with laughter and grabbed Merlin to him, tumbling them backwards onto the sofa and kissing him hard.   
  
Arthur grinned against Merlin's lips, devouring them for all he was worth and Merlin couldn't help but laugh. He trailed his fingers across Arthur's shoulders and held him, finding the sudden euphoria pleasantly infectious. He could feel Arthur's hands roving across his skin, his fingertips clutching gently at his back and raking round to his--   
  
Merlin jerked sharply, squirming and laughing uncontrollably against the sudden onslaught of his lover's fingers. Arthur knew every single ticklish spot on his body. He managed to wriggle an arm free and tried to lever himself away, but Arthur quickly changed tact.   
  
“Not so fast.” Arthur grinned, pinning Merlin's hands easily on either side of his head and sitting securely across his hips. Merlin flexed his hands briefly and met Arthur's eyes. Arthur leaned down and caught his lips in another kiss, hot and teasing, biting gently on his lip before plundering his mouth again.   
  
It was like Arthur was a new man - and Merlin liked it very much.


End file.
